A resolution calling for a change in the New York state divorce laws was adopted here at the 71st annual meeting of the New York Board of Rabbis, which has a membership of 550 Orthodox, Conservative and Reform rabbis. The meeting also adopted a resolution opposing the introduction of prayer into the school system and asked revision of the state’s Sabbath law so that persons who observe the Sabbath on days other than Sunday may perform their business duties on Sundays.
Declaring that the conditions now surrounding the obtaining of a divorce in New York are “scandalous,” the resolution says: “Judaism throughout the ages has conspicuously upheld the sanctity of law and the integrity of the home and family. It affirms that marriage is a moral and divinely sanctified union of husband and wife. Therefore, when the moral and sanctifying elements are no longer present in marriage, Judaism recognizes that divorce may be wise and necessary, and traditionally it has made provision for the dissolution of such marriage under religious suspires. It teaches that successful marriage rests upon a strong and enduring unity of purpose between husband and wife, rather than upon the prohibition of divorce.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
